Fire-escape



A. NIKANDER.

i FIRE ESCAPE. APPucATloN msn ocr. 1. rs1-9.

1,341,242. Patented May 25,1920.

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A. NIKANDER.

FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATION min ocT. i, was.

Patented May 25,1920.

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UNITED STATES AUGUST NIKANDER, OEDETROIT, MICHIGAN.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1920.

Application ,led October 1, 1919. Serial No. 327,697.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST NIKANDER, a citizen of Finland, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fire escapes involving the use of a drum and a cable wound thereon, the object of the invention being to provide a novel and improved apparatus of this kind having means for automatically controlling the speed of' the drum, and also for winding the cable back on the drum after each descent of a person.

The objects stated are attained by means of a combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that the same may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus, partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in another position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of a governor-controlled brake mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section, partly broken away, on the line 44`of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line of Fig. 1.

Referring specifically tothe drawings, 1() denotes a vertically positioned, elongated housing which incloses the entire apparatus. This housing is adapted to be supported at any convenient place on the building so` that the apparatus will be readily accessible for use.

In the housing 10 is mounted a rotatable drum 11 having its axis arranged vertically. On this drum is wound a cable or other suitable hoisting line 12 supporting a basket or other passenger carrier 13. In the side of the housing 1() is an opening 14 through which the cable passes, and adjacent to this opening is a guide roller or pulley 15 for the cable.

From the bottom of the drum 11, at the center thereof, extends a screw stern 16 which is threaded through a stationary nut 17 carried by a support 18 in the housing 10.

To the upper end of the drum 11, at the center thereof, is secured an upstanding spindle 1 9, the upper end of which is shouldered, as shown at 20, and supports a rotatable sleeve 21 carrying bracket arms 22 to which are pivoted, as shown at 23, the arms 24 oi governor balls or weights 25, said arms having their inner ends positioned above, and close to the upper end oi a stem 2G seating slidably in a longitudinal openn ingin the spindle 19.

On the spindle 19 is fixed a spur gear 27 *mh is in mesh with apinion. 28 on a shaft 29 having a spur gear 30 which is in mesh with a pinion 31 on the sleeve 21, whereby the latter is rotated whenl the drum 11 is in motion.

.Above the upper end of the drum 11, in the housing 10, is slidably mounted a support for the governor, said support comprising a bottom plate 32 and upstanding side walls 33. The support is rectangular, the same as the housing, and hence it is prevented from rotatingin the latter. The bottom plate 32 has a bearing 34 for the shaft 29, and a bearing 35 for the spindle 19, and on the bottom of said plate are rollers 36 which Vare engaged by the upper end of the drum 11. I

The lower end of the governor stem 26 eX-` tends ,into the drum 11, the latter heilig holi low, and bears on one of the branches 37 of an angle lever pivoted to a bracket 38 in the drum, and having its other branch 39 connected to a reciprocatory rod 40 carrying at its outer end a brake shoe 41 which is positioned opposite, and close to the inner periphery of a bral'cering 42 encircling the drum and supported by hangggers or bracket members carried by the plate brake shoe 41 pretrudes through an openii'if.;- 44. in the side of the drum, and is provided with a guide or bearing 45 inside the drum. A spring 46 coiled around the rod 40between the bearing 45 and an abutment 47 on said rod, normally holds the latter retracted and the shoe 41 out oi' contact with the ring 42.

In operation, when the cable 12 is paying oli' the drum 11 to lower the basket 13, and the drum is rotating, the motion of the latter is communicated to the governor. It an excessive speed should be attained the governor arms 24 push the stem 26 downward to advance the rod 40 and bring the shoe 41 against the ring 42, thereby checking the drum and reducing the speed of descent of' the basket.

The drum 11 also moves bodily in the The y housing 10, its movement being upward when the cable 12 is unwinding, This movement of the drum is obtained by the screw stem 16 working in the nut 17. The weight of the drum and the parts it carries is such that when the cable has unwound and the drum has reached the limit of its upward travel, it will drop or lower' in the housing 10, when the weight is removed from the basket 13, and through the screw stem and the nut, the drum is now rotated in a direction to rewind the cable on the drum and thus elevate the basket to its starting place.

On opposite ones of the walls 33 of the governor support are guide webs 48 which seat in the slots of guide plates 49 mounted on the inside of the housing 10.

The upper end of the screw stem 16, where it is connected to the bottom of the drum 11, is fitted with a guide plate 50 which slidably engages at its edges with the wall of the housing 10. This plate steadies the drum 11 and also serves to prevent the screwstem 16 from being bent by the weight of the drum and the other parts, when the drum is high in the housing. The plate 50 has a center opening through which the upper unthreadedv end of the screw stem loosely passes, and said stem has collars 51 between which the plate seats, so that it travels up and down with the stem.

I claim:

1. In a fire-escape, a cable drum, a nonrotatable brake-ring encircling the drum, a brake shoe carried by the drum and protruding from the side thereof to engage the inner periphery of the ring, and a centrifugal governor driven by the drum and controlling the brake shoe.

2. In a fire-escape, a cable drum which is slidably and rotatably mounted, a support for the drum including a non-traveling nut, and a screw-stem turning with the drum and threaded through the nut.

3. In a fire-escape, a cable drum mounted for rotation and vertical sliding motion, the axis of the drum being vertical, a screw stem extending from the lower end of the drum, and a non-traveling nut through which the stem is threaded.

4:. In a :lire-escape, a cable drum mounted for rotation and vertical sliding motion, the axis of the drum being vertical, and means for sliding the drum upwardly when the cable is unwinding, said means when the drum is sliding downwardly rotating the same in a direction to rewind the cable.

5. In a lire-escape, a cable drum mounted for rotation and vertical sliding motion, the axis of the drum being vertical, a screw stem extending from the lower end of the drum, and a nonetraveling nut through which the screw-stem is threaded for rotating the drum in a direction to rewind the cable thereon when the drum is sliding downwardly.

6. In a nre-escape, a cable drum mounted for rotation and vertical sliding motion, the axis of the drum being vertical, and means for sliding the drum upwardly when the cable is unwinding, said means when the drum is sliding downwardly rotating the same in a direction to rewind the cable, and a governor-controlled brake mechanism for the drum.

7. In a lire-escape, a cable drum mounted for rotation and vertical sliding motion, the axis of the drum being vertical, and means for sliding the drum upwardly when the cable is unwinding, said means when the drum is sliding downwardly rotating the same in a direction to rewind the cable, a non-rotatable brake ring encircling the drum, a support for said ring slidable with the drum, a brake shoe carried by the drum and protruding from the side thereof to engage the inner periphery of the ring, and a centrifugal governor driven by the drum and controlling the brake shoe.

8. In a fire escape, a cable drum mounted for rotation and vertical sliding motion, the axis of the drum being vertical, a screw stem extending from the lower end of the drum, and a non-traveling nut through which the screw-stein is threaded for rotating the drum in a direction to rewind the cable thereon when the drum is sliding downwardly, a housing inclosing the drum and the screw stem, and a guide plate carried by the screw stem and slidably engaging the wall of the housing.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

AUGUST NIKANDER. 

